The Weekly Download is the place for ideas, features, research, and news coverage about workers, worker power, and unions — delivered to your inbox and the Power at Work Blog, every week. The Weekly Download hopes to promote the writing, research, and analysis that advances a discourse putting workers and their unions at the center of the national conversation. If you have an item that we should include in The Weekly Download, or a source we should review for future items, please email us at [email protected]. Subscribe to the Power At Work Blog here to get The Weekly Download sent directly to your inbox.
Corporate Power Opposing Worker Power:
'Indentured servitude': Nurses hit with hefty debt when trying to leave hospitals - NBC News
by Shannon Pettypiece (@spettypi), March 12, 2023
“The practice of requiring repayment for training programs aimed at recent nursing school graduates has become increasingly common in recent years, with some hospitals requiring nurses to pay back as much as $15,000 if they quit or are fired before their contract is up, according to more than a dozen nursing contracts reviewed by NBC News and interviews with nurses, educators, hospital administrators and labor organizers.”
What Union-Buster Howard Schultz Owes Starbucks Workers — The Progressive
By Saurav Sarkar (@sauravthewriter), March 11, 2023
“Union members with Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) reacted with surprise, excitement, and a sense of vindication to the news that Schultz will be appearing under oath in front of a U.S. Senate committee on March 29.”
Labor Markets, Public Policy, and Worker Power:
Michigan Senate approves repeal of right-to-work law, return of prevailing wage — The Detroit News
By Craig Mauger (@CraigDMauger), March 14, 2023
“Organized labor was on the verge of scoring landmark political victories Tuesday as the Michigan Senate voted to repeal the 2012 right-to-work law that made union membership optional at unionized workplaces and re-establish a prevailing wage standard for state projects.”
Why ‘right-to-work’ was always wrong for Michigan — EPI Working Economics Blog
By Jennifer Sherer (@jensherer) and Elise Gould (@eliselgould), March 13, 2023
“The Michigan state legislature is poised to make history this week by repealing an anti-union “right-to-work” (RTW) statute enacted in 2012. This repeal is an important step toward empowering workers to address historic levels of income inequality and unequal power in our economy, and would mark the first time a state has repealed a RTW law in nearly 60 years.”
Strikes and Other Worker Collective Actions:
Massive three-day LAUSD teacher and staff strike set for Tuesday, closing all schools — Los Angeles Times
By Howard Blume (@howardblume) and Andrew J. Campa (@campadrenews), March 15, 2023
“A three-day strike that would shut down Los Angeles public schools is scheduled to start Tuesday, union leaders announced Wednesday during a massive downtown rally by the district’s two largest employee groups. L.A. schools Supt. Alberto Carvalho on Wednesday urged union leadership to negotiate “around the clock” to avert the strike, which he said would further harm more than 420,000 students trying to recover academically and emotionally from the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced them into remote learning for more than year. Union leaders responded that they are looking out for the long-term interest of students as well as workers through their demands for higher pay and improved working and learning conditions.”
California Court Opens the Door to Unions for Uber and Lyft Drivers — Power At Work
By Seth Harris (@MrSethHarris), March 15, 2023
“The headlines on stories about this week’s California Court of Appeals decision upholding most of Proposition 22, which classified app-based drivers as “independent contractors” under California law, declared the decision a huge victory for Uber, Lyft, and the other online platform companies. But there is one part of the decision that could turn into a potentially important opportunity for the Service Employees International Union and other unions seeking to organize these workers into unions.”
California appeals court reverses most of ruling deeming Prop. 22 invalid — The Los Angeles Times
By Suhauna Hussain (@suhaunah), March 13, 2023
“A California appeals court reversed most of a ruling invalidating Proposition 22, the state’s 2020 voter-approved gig economy law allowing giant ride-hailing and delivery companies to classify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees”
Worker Power in Labor Markets May Have Just Started to Slip — Power At Work
By Seth Harris (@MrSethHarris), March 12, 2023
“We may be seeing problematic signs for workers and worker power in the economy. It’s too soon to be definitive and the signals, at this point, are decidedly mixed. But if these early signs continue and build into a trend, workers may experience rising unemployment, slower (or no) wage increases, and less ability to change jobs to raise their pay and improve their working conditions.”
Collective Bargaining:
Temple grad students overwhelmingly ratify agreement, ending their six-week strike - Philadelphia Inquirer
By Susan Snyder (@ssnyderinq), March 13, 2023
“After the union rejected a proposal last month, an agreement between Temple and its striking graduate students this time was approved by a vast majority of members, officially ending the six-week strike that has disrupted operations at the 33,600-student university. Results of the vote were released late Monday afternoon by the Temple University Graduate Students Association, which represents 750 graduate student teaching and research assistants. With more than three-quarters of members voting, 98% said yes to the new four-year contract, hammered out during meetings last week.”
Building Worker Power Through Organizing:
Bandcamp Workers Form Union: ‘It’s Not Enough to Get Small Wins Alone’ — Rolling Stone
By Kim Kelly (@GrimKim), March 16, 2023
“The new union’s mission statement underlines the workers’ commitment to upholding Bandcamp’s stated values while emphasizing that the company needs to do the same.”
Underpaid and Insulted, Maximus Call Center Workers Organize - Labor Notes
By Luis Feliz Leon (@Lfelizleon), March 15, 2023
“Preston says callers grappling with terminal illnesses and angry at a cumbersome signup process often vent their frustration on the worker on the other end of the line. Sometimes their comments are outright racist. “You sound like you are Southern,” callers tell her. “I don’t want a Black person. I want an American voice. I don’t want no Indian.” No wonder 10,000 workers toiling at call centers across nine states, mainly Black women, want to unionize with the Communications Workers (CWA).”
How We’re Fighting for a Union at Amazon’s Biggest Air Hub - Labor Notes
By Griffin Ritze (@g_ritze), March 14, 2023
“I work as a tug driver at Amazon’s global air hub in Northern Kentucky (KCVG). My co-workers and I are taking on one of the largest corporations in the world to get what we deserve. Our main demands are for a $30-an-hour starting wage, 180 hours a year of paid time off, and union representation at disciplinary meetings to end favoritism and retaliation. This $1.5 billion facility is a flagship for Amazon—it’s the company’s biggest air hub. Jeff Bezos personally broke ground on it in 2019.”
Can the United Farm Workers Rise Again? - New York Times
By Kurtis Lee (@kurtisalee) and Liliana Michelena (@lilimichelena), March 11, 2023
“Decades after Cesar Chavez made the union a power in California fields, it has lost much of its clout. Membership dropped precipitously, from 60,000 to 5,500. It hopes a new law will turn the tide.”
Public Universities Run on Underpaid Labor. Now Grad Workers Are Fighting Back. - Truthout
By Sudip Bhattacharya (@ResistRun), March 10, 2023
“Since the 1980s, U.S. public universities have become vessels of neoliberal dogma, with administrators obsessed with finding ways to turn a profit rather than providing support for teaching and research staff. One of the major tactics for accruing more profit, wealth and influence for university administrations has been the process of cultivating a workforce of precarious labor, made up of graduate workers, adjuncts and non-tenure-track faculty. This workforce can be paid less while being compelled to do many of the same duties as full-time faculty, with little or no job protections. In a majority of states, those who are part of this precarious workforce are considered “at-will employees,” meaning their contracts can be terminated for nearly any reason.”
Workers at TCGPlayer Celebrate Groundbreaking Win, TCGUnion/CWA Becomes First Certified Union at eBay — Communications Workers of America
(@CWAUnion) March 10, 2023
“A majority of workers at eBay-owned TCGPlayer won their union election on Friday, March 10 and will be represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1123. TCGPlayer is one of the largest online marketplaces for verification services, card games, comics, and collectible trading cards. It was acquired by eBay in November 2022. The workers, known as TCGUnion-CWA, are the first group of eBay workers to win union representation in the U.S.”
American Airlines pilots union calls strike authorization vote as contract talks continue - CNBC
By Leslie Josephs (@lesliejosephs), March 9, 2023
“The American Airlines pilots union plans to vote in April on whether to allow members to call a strike. The notice comes two days after American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said the carrier is prepared to raise pilot pay to match compensation at rival Delta Air Lines. Even if the pilots union called a strike it would not be immediate.”
One Way To Protect the Queer Community? Unionize the Nightclubs — In These Times
By Lindsay Eanet, March 9, 2023
“For nearly 40 years, Berlin Nightclub has set itself apart through its progressive, come-as-you-are atmosphere, late-night dance floor extravaganzas and bold, diverse drag performances. Now, workers at the club are seeking to set Berlin apart in a new way — by becoming the first nightclub in Chicago’s gay enclave with a unionized staff.”
Walt Disney Animation Studios Production Workers Launch Union Drive With IATSE - Hollywood Reporter
By Katie Kilkenny (@katiekilkenny7), March 8, 2023
“The Animation Guild has set its sights on unionizing the Walt Disney Animation Studios’ production workers — a move that organizers say the family-friendly company is resisting. Coming off of an aggressive run of production-specific organizing drives at shows (Rick and Morty, Family Guy) and studios (Nickelodeon, ShadowMachine), IATSE Local 839 revealed Wednesday that the union is attempting to form a bargaining unit composed of around 78 production coordinators, production supervisors and production managers at the Encanto and Wish studio.”
Ideas to Build Worker Power:
Book Review: Kim Kelly's "Fight Like Hell" Uplifts the Labor Movement's Forgotten Voices — The Power At Work Blog
By Anne Sedar, March 16, 2023
"Freelance labor journalist Kim Kelly’s debut book, “Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor,” is not your traditional book detailing labor history. The book’s concentration on marginalized workers and historically exploitative industries is a refreshing change from history books that forget anyone who isn’t a cishet white man."
On Equal Pay Day, what can you do to bridge the gender wage gap? Join a union - AFSCME Blog
(@AFSCME) March 14, 2023
“As a heavy equipment operator for the city of Dayton, Ohio, Kelly Yeaney says women who choose this line of work often feel they must prove themselves to their male counterparts. “When you’re working around 25 men, it really matters how well you back up that truck,” says Yeaney, a member of AFSCME Local 101 (Council 8). “You definitely have to carry your weight.” But although Yeaney works in a male-dominated field, one thing she doesn’t have to worry about is equal pay for equal work. As a member of AFSCME, she is covered by a union contract that treats every worker the same.”
What We Need to Close the Wage Gap Is Surprisingly Simple - National Women’s Law Center Blog
By Da Hae Kim (@nwlc) March 14, 2023
“March 14th is Equal Pay Day, a day to remind us that, in 2021, women working full time, year-round in all sectors were paid only 84 cents for every dollar paid to a man. And that’s just talking about women overall. If we break it down by race and industry, the gender wage gap only gets wider and grimmer for many women of color. For decades, our country has tried and failed to eradicate this wage gap. But somehow, we’ve been overlooking one of the simplest (and most obvious) solutions: Pay transparency.”
Growing the Houston Area Labor Movement Through Union Solidarity — IAMAW
(@MachinistsUnion) March 14, 2023
“After decades of union decline, the labor movement is seeing an increase in union membership. Workers across the board are using their voices to rebalance power at work. The recent success with retail and service workers has made headlines, and the interest in these sectors continues to grow. But to keep this movement trending upward, we as union activists must adapt to the ever-changing workforce – and to do that, there has to be change.”
Why Unions Matter So Much - New York Times
By David Leonhardt (@DLeonhardt), March 10, 2023
“For decades, the Republican Party has seemed to care more about labor unions than the Democratic Party has….But events in Michigan this week raise the question of whether Democrats are starting to change their approach and devote more attention to strengthening organized labor.”
Worker Power Profiles:
2023 Women Labor Leaders — AFL-CIO Blog
by Audrey Edmonds (@audjane), March 7, 2023
“This Women’s History Month, we’re profiling leaders who are making women’s history across the labor movement today.”
